Cobalt Blue
by thepotterheadfrommiddleearth
Summary: What happened after Philip and Syrena swam away in Stranger Tides? DISCLAIMER: Alas, both Philip and Syrena do not belong to me.


Cobalt blue- the colour of the ocean as we swam ever deeper. The cold water rushing at my face made it hard for me to see, but I could feel her smooth yet warm arms wrapped around me. I didn't have to kick, or even move- her powerful tail propelled us forward- down, down, ever down. I looked to my side, yet my view of her was obstructed by her billowing dark brown hair.

I couldn't feel the wound in my side, though I knew it was there. The ice cold water numbed the pain, and Syrena's presence almost drew the thought out of my mind. I could still taste the sweet saltiness of her lips on mine, and hear her melodic voice softly speaking to me. She had forgiven me. She loved me too.

I felt my eyes slowly close. The lull of the deep ocean crept into my thoughts and numbed my whole body, and all I could feel was the gentle strength of her embrace. I knew I was safe. I had nothing to fear. I let my troubles drift away as we swam deeper down.

"We're here. We're safe now." My eyes fluttered open. I couldn't see much. We appeared to be in a small cavern, an air pocket on the side of an underwater cliff. There was little light.

"Where are we?"

"Someplace safe for you to rest." I lifted my head, only to find that I was lying on a solid rock shelf. There wasn't much room for me to move. '"Lie still, Philip. Do not exert yourself. I will heal you soon."

Her eyes lingered on me for a moment, carefully taking in my cold figure. She sunk back into the water, and with a flick of her tail, she was gone.

I was alone in a small cavern, little bigger than a few coffins, lit eerily by a mysterious light I couldn't quite find. My feelings were slowly seeping back, and I became aware of how cold I was, and the ache in my side. I tentatively peeled away my vest where it had been pressed against my wound. My blood had soaked the fabric and stained my skin. A stab wound, small yet deep and indescribably painful.

I rearranged myself as I could so that my wound was not touching the rock around me or the watery pool to my right. I looked at the water that Syrena had slipped into- the same passage that she had most probably carried me up. I didn't know where I was. I didn't know where _she _was. I was wounded, and although I knew I would not drown the air felt thin in the small cavern.

My fingers went shakily to the cross hung around my neck.

_God, please, do not abandon me._

Syrena would come back. She had to come back.

I had been told never to trust mermaids. They would lure you out of safety and drown you with pleasure. If these myths were anything to go by, I was a dead man.

But Syrena was different. She saved my life once before, and was possibly about to again. Mermaids were hellish creatures, their ethereal beauty masking a bent and twisted core- yet somehow Syrena seemed just as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. My fingers yet again reached for my cross.

_God, please do not let me fall for a monster. Save my soul, and let Syrena be as wonderful as she seems. Do not forsake me._

When I had had to carry her, I had found myself slowly falling in love with Syrena, yet I had never fathomed her loving me back. I had never been faced with the prospect of her otherworldly beauty not being reflected in her personality. Yet here I was, my life in her hands.

"Philip?" Syrena's soft voice broke into my thoughts. She was holding something, some luminescent object that lit up the whole cavern.

"What... what is that?" As I exhaled I realized how hard it was for me to speak. The wound in my side throbbed with every syllable.

"Moss. It will heal you." She gingerly pressed the moss onto my wound. I drew in a sharp breath- it had a slimy, unnatural feel to it, and the feeling of it pressed to my skin surprised me. But it didn't hurt- it was soothing.

My eyes shut for a moment, the sweet relief of the moss overcoming my senses. I opened my eyes again, and they wandered to my stomach- the wound looked less lethal, and appeared to already be healing. The glowing moss was casting shadows around the cavern as Syrena massaged it onto my side. I looked at her, daring to stare longer than I had before whilst she was preoccupied.

Her wavy brown hair was plastered to her body because of how damp it was. She had hair draped over her front and cascading down her back, framing her delicate face nicely. Her soft pink lips were slightly open, and I could still remember the feeling of her kissing me. Her eyes were focussed on my wound, concentrating. They were a green hue, like jade, that sparkled in the light of the iridescent moss. It was almost breathtaking, how beautiful she was up close.

Her gaze flicked to me. I was caught off guard- she had seen me staring at her.

"You will be okay now." She gestured to my wound. It was now looking dramatically better, and I could barely feel the pain.

"Thank you." I said, breathing heavily. "You saved my life. Again."

She smiled softly. "You have saved mine too. I am repaying you."

"I have not done enough to deserve such kindness. If you are repaying a debt, you have done more than enough."

"Then think of this not as repayment, but as of..." Her voice trailed off. She leaned in closer to me, her hair brushing my skin. "Affection, maybe?"

I blushed. "I do not know how I could ever reciprocate your... affection..."

"No, Philip- the thing about love is that no gesture is too big or too small. You do not need to save me in return."

Love. She loved me, and she had said so herself. I had no need to fear that she was anything but lovely. All my doubts had washed away when she said that. I reached out, and stroked the side of her head. "I am sure that no gesture, however big it is, could communicate how I feel for you. You are not like other mermaids, Syrena, and I am lucky to have found you."

She averted her eyes, and for a second I thought that she was ashamed of what I had said, but when she looked back at me, her eyes were shimmering with tears.

"So you truly didn't mean to use me like that?"

"I would _never _hurt you intentionally." I promised, my thumb brushing a wet strand of hair from her cheek. She reached up and held my hand, gently caressing it as she stared at me thoughtfully.

"I don't understand why mermaids like killing men," she muttered softly, "some men are so trusting and gentle."

"As are some mermaids." I added quietly.

She took her hand away from mine, and traced her finger down the side of my neck until she reached the cross.

"What's this?" She asked, her curiosity shining through.

"It's a cross. It represents God. When I am afraid, I pray."

"Are you afraid?" Her eyes flicked back to my face, the glint of tears almost gone.

"Not when I am with you." I said honestly. Yes, I had had my fears in her absence, but now that she was back, I knew I had nothing to be afraid of.

"Most men fear my kind."

"But I thought we agreed I am not like most men."

"No," she smiled, "you are not."

And with that, she pressed her lips to mine again, and kissed me gently. I closed my eyes, letting myself get lost in her caress. I turned ever so slightly so I could hold her, and the moss that had been pressed to my wound fell into the water and landed on a shelf below me. It's light electrified the blue of the water and shone around the small cavern. Cobalt blue- the colour of the water as she kissed me.


End file.
